Flickering Fires, Smoldering Ashes
by DeltaWing13
Summary: Abandoned.
1. Prologue- Betrayal

**AN: Hey everyone, this is a** _ **maybe**_ **story. For now, it will remain a oneshot until a) it gets enough support, or b) I find some spare time. This was a challenge from… I forgot. Oh well. Read and review!**

 **P.S. Pairings undecided.**

..

Today, Ash Ketchum was returning from his most recent exploits in the Unova Region. Recently, another new region had come into his attention, courtesy of Cilan.

"Man, I wonder how everyone is doing. Don't you, Pikachu?"

Strangely, the usually energetic Mouse Pokemon was silent, for reasons beyond Ash. Shrugging, he passed it off as being upset at losing the Championship. Though they tried yet failed many times, they were growing stronger!

The duo walked on in silence, until his hometown came into view.

"Pikachu, there's Pallet Town! Come on, let's go!" cheered the boy, breaking into a sprint. He dropped by the Professor's lab, but he wasn't there. Shrugging, he walked behind the building, greeting all of his old friends.

They weren't there.

Scratching his head, Ash shared a glance with Pikachu. "Maybe they're doing something else?"

The raven-haired Pokemon Trainer turned around and walked to his house. Unlike the building he visited prior, this one was bustling and full of life.

"-ost _again_! I mean, how many times has he tried now?"

Ash froze, not believing his ears. That was _Misty's_ voice, his first friend! Frowning, he continued eavesdropping.

"Who knows _what's_ going on in his mind. It's true he has gotten close, but close is still a far cry from actually _accomplishing_ anything."

"Che. He even has these crazy strong Pokemon, yet he's naive enough to try and start from scratch against people who've trained their whole lives!"

'May? Max? Why…' thought Ash sadly, hanging his head.

"And think of all the chances he had to capture more Pokemon! Meeting a Legendary Pokemon every other day, helping them, and for what? For someone who's saved the world, his resolve is far too weak."

That was it. His companions. Misty, May, Max, Brock.

In his own home, berating him. And by the sounds of it, they had his Pokemon, too.

'Where's Mom?'

The thought popped up in his head, before he dismissed it with a shake of his head. There was no way she'd allow them to speak like that!

Gathering his confidence, he knocked on the door.

Instantly, their conversations halted, and May opened the door smiling.

For a moment, Ash considered he had heard wrong. His hopes were quickly dashed, as he inspected his… acquaintances. Their smiles were too strained, the air too tense, the silence awkward.

His hat shadowing his eyes, he examined the room wordlessly. Several of his Pokemon were interacting cheerfully in the room, along with his mother and Professor Oak.

'That means… No, I should ask them… But what if…'

"Mom, Professor… You agree with them, don't you," he asked- no, stated, not moving from his spot.

The house was instantly devoid of sound, as Delia's face went deathly pale. "Honey, I just-"

"Just _what_ , Mom? Want me to give up my dream? Talk behind my back? Insulting me with others?" Ash asked harshly, cutting her off. Shaking his head, he turned around. "Forget it. It's obvious my Pokemon enjoy being with you guys, so take care of them, or you will **regret it**."

Pikachu, who was standing on his trainer's shoulder this entire time, looked between the two parties. Hesitating, he tensed…

...and jumped off Ash's shoulder, turning around to face him. Unable to look him in the eye, he dashed off into the house.

Frozen with shock, Ash stood there, uncomprehending. Pikachu… his closest friend, his pseudo brother… They had been through so much together, and yet…

"So that's your decision…" he whispered darkly, getting worried looks from his ex-friends. 'Worried? Hah, they have no right to be worried about me. Not after what they've said and done.'

Walking off slowly, he gave his departing words, with as much anger and hatred he could force into it, as if he was facing the villains he encountered in the past. They, he had forgiven. These people, these _traitors_ , he cannot.

"Farewell… and pray that this is the last time we meet, _traitors_ …"

..

 **Hall of Origins**

The God Pokemon looked down sadly at the events unfolding in the mortal realm. He knew of this, of course. Over the years, the Chosen One's allies lost faith in him, forming a group.

Misty was the first to change, seeing him lose so much made her shun him. Brock followed soon after.

Max had turned against him after witnessing his 'idol' fail countless times. May, after listening to her brother, agreed.

The Professor had grown tired of caring for so many Pokemon with so much potential, and had given them away to his 'friends'.

Though with good intentions, Delia also lost faith in her son and wanted him to give up in hopes of him getting an actual job.

Though he may have power over all Pokemon, humanity's traitorous natures still confounded and angered him.

He summoned the other Legendary Pokemon, almost all of which were in the Chosen One's debt. All of them knew of this, and were fuming. However, Arceus prohibited them, although reluctantly, from contacting Ash.

He had wished for Ash to remain unknowing of this, at least until he had become a Champion and his 'friends' stopped their irrational behaviour.

Unfortunately, this was not to be.

Sighing, he cleared his throat. " **You all know why we are here. As of now, the ban on contacting Ash Ketchum has been lifted. However, it will be in our best interest to remain hidden from other humans. You remember Team Rocket, Cipher, Magma, Aqua, and Plasma, correct. Though the Chosen One has stopped them, there remains… worries."**

Seeing nods of acceptance, some more forced than others, he dipped his head. " **Very well. Do as you wish, all of you."**

..

 **Sorry if this was bad, this is my first a) betrayal story, and b) Pokemon story. I also have limited knowledge on Pokemon's two newest regions, so I won't be adding those, sorry. And yes, I purposely left out Dawn, as I can't see her giving up on Ash so soon compared to the others.**

 **For reference, Ash is 16, as is the others (except Max).**


	2. The Hall of Origins (Rewritten)

**AN: … Wow. Just, wow. This is a great result for my third story, considering it's less than a day old and already in a community, with five reviews! Anyways, enjoy (?)!**

..

A black-haired man, looking in his twenties, stood wordlessly in the battle box. He wore a mask covering his eyes, his mouth seen to be curled downwards slightly, and an outfit like Sir Aaron's. Both pieces of clothing were in black, however.

By his side, a Lucario stood emotionlessly, in stark contrast to the roaring crowds around them.

Sighing, the man looked over to his Pokemon, and smirked. "Old friend, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Lucario nodded, as his trainer thought back to the day everything changed, 5 years ago…

..

Flashback

..

A depressed Ash wandered the forest path aimlessly, his mind in turmoil, a pinwheel of emotions.

Rage. They, his closest friends and Pokemon, lost all faith in him. Even Pikachu, his best friend, sided with them!

Fear. Are all his friends like this? Everyone he's met and helped? The Pokemon he's released? The Legendary Pokemon? Can he ever face them again?

Curiosity. Why? Why were they, of all people, behaving like this?

Regret. If he had, perhaps, done something different, could this have been prevented? What if… what if… what if…

So many questions, no answer in sight.

Dimly, he realized this was the place where he had met Misty, destroying her bike. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

Why? Why hadn't he stayed. What if this was a misunderstanding? What if they could've talked this through? Why… why wasn't he yelling at them.

However, in the back of his mind, he knew the answer. This really happened, yet he had not really accepted it until he left. That, that was the start of a new journey.

Sighing, he looked through his PokeTech. He deleted all of the contacts of the people he had seen without a second thought, though he froze on the rest.

Maybe, just maybe, they weren't in on this. He'd better ask them in person… But what if they were?

'I know I wouldn't be able to take it right now…'

Interrupting his thoughts, a large orb of light zoomed in front of Ash, pulsating a myriad of colors.

As the luminous colors faded away, it revealed what was in it;

Several of the legendaries he had grown close with, Latias, Meloetta, Keldeo, and Celebi, among others, appeared.

"Wha-?"

Manaphy flew towards him immediately, hugging him tightly while squealing his name. "Mana, Manaphy!"

Chuckling, he turned his gaze to the other Pokemon. Their sad expressions made his spirits plummet as quickly as it had risen, expecting the worst.

Sighing, the raven-haired boy averted his gaze. "You guys, too? Damn…"

Smiling sadly, Latias transformed into her human form (Bianca) and hugged Ash as well, shaking her head.

'No, Ash! We're not like those… those traitors! We're with you all the way!' she shouted telepathically.

"R-really?" Ash asked, hope in his eyes. In response, the mythical Pokemon swarmed him, and Ash toppled to the ground, laughing loudly. Thankfully, none of the larger ones were here.

Which brought the next question;

"Where are the others? Wha-hey, stop that, Mew, it tickles!" he shouted, pushing away said Pokemon's tail from brushing his stomach.

Giggling, the pink Pokemon answered, 'The other's are in the Hall of Origins, waiting. There, we'll decide who's going to travel with you, as long as you promise not to show us off.'

Nodding in understanding, the boy smiled widely, before frowning. "Wait, you're coming with me?"

This time, it was Latias who giggled, and nodded quickly. Meloetta, Manaphy, Shaymin, and Celebi did the same.

Keldeo hung his head sadly. 'Unfortunately, I'm still in training with the other Swords of Justice… but I'll visit when I can!'

Ash nodded again, and patted him on the head. "It's ok, Keldeo. So, when are we going?"

Mew's eyes shone with psychic power, as a simple, one-word response came telepathically:

'Now'

With that, the clearing became a realm of blazing pink, and, as the pink receded, no one could be seen.

..

In turn, a small ball of pink popped into existence in the Hall of Origins, before expanding quickly and dissipating to reveal Ash Ketchum, the first human to be welcomed within the fabled area.

'Welcome, Chosen One,' Arceus boomed, dipping his head slightly in acknowledgement.

Around him, many others did the same; Lugia, Ho-oh, Darkrai, Cresselia, Dialga, Palkia, and many more.

"It's nice to see everyone again, as well. It's been a while, after all," stated Ash, smiling warmly at the collection of titans.

'A pity we meet under such circumstances…' the God Pokemon murmured, with others agreeing silently.

Ho-oh sighed, apologizing to Ash, 'I am sorry, for when I blessed you at the beginning of your trip, I had not expected such an ending…'

The trainer waved him off, though his smile dimmed ever so slightly. "It's not your fault, don't worry about it."

'So, Chosen One, what do you plan on doing now?'

Frowning, the teen tapped his chin, deep in thought. "I don't want to see anyone right now… I want to prove them wrong! But if you guys don't want to be seen, I can't become Champion anymore, since I don't… You know…"

Nodding, Arceus also frowned at the dilemna. Ash wasn't the only one who wanted to prove the traitors wrong, most everyone here did as well. But what he said was a valid point as well. Training from the ground up will be cumbersome, and he didn't have any pokeballs or money to buy some.

Latias spoke up, smirking. 'Don't be so sure, Ash… Come with me, I'll show you what I mean.' Seeing as they were about to leave, Meloetta grinned, and flew over to his side as well, just as they teleported away.

'... Does anyone know what just happened?'

'Didn't you know, they both like Ash, Arceus?'

'Wha-'

'Yeah, and so do you, Celebi!'

'...Shut up. I'll go with them next time…'

'...'

'Guys, I think Arceus is going into 'Overprotective Father' Mode…'

'When did he get that kind of plate?'

'Doesn't matter, someone go and warn Ash!'

..

Flashback end

..

He was snapped out of his thoughts as a voice resounded on the P.A.

"And now, folks! Our first competitor! Shade!"

Shaking his head at the alias, he wondered what compelled him to call himself that.

Two weeks ago, he had fought all the champions in a four-on-one battle, and barely managed to win. Nevertheless, win he did. As such, he made up a name on the spot.

Requesting them to keep it on the down-low, he now entered this tournament for… certain reasons.

"And now, his challenger, Max Maple!"

..

 **Rewrite done! Consider the parts outside of the flashback the preview. Really, that's all I changed.**


	3. Old Friends

**AN: I'm gonna rewrite Chapter 2, not by a lot but just tweaking a few things. Also, since no one is voting on the pairing for the poll, I'm just gonna make this Ash x Ursula for now. It's pretty rare, and caught my attention. Consider Chapter 2 a prelude. Also, I'll have to clarify something. I have not actually seen any Pokemon, except for one or two here or there, and that was 8 years ago. All of this is researched and/or by the grapevine.**

..

Giggles echoed throughout the forest, as two Pokemon and a teenage boy shimmered into existence. They were in a clearing, with a beautiful clear spring, and the sun shining brightly into it.

However, that was not what attracted Ash's attention.

In front of him, were several of his friends from adventures. Pidgeot, Charizard, Squirtle, Spoink, Riolu, Ambipom, and Butterfree.

There were also some Pokemon he thought had betrayed him; Gible, Totodile, and Bayleef, as well as the Ralts that had promised to go with Max.

"Wha- how… How come you're all here?"

'Ash, we went around, asking if they wanted to travel with you again. They all agreed, so we brought them here. Gible, Bayleef, and Totodile refused to part with you, and Ambipom wanted to return to her original owner. Ralts no longer wished to travel with Max, after she heard of what the traitors did,' Meloetta explained cheerfully, Latias nodding in agreement.

The teen swept his gaze over them, his eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you… Thank you, everyone!"

Crouching down, he spread out his arms, as the numerous Pokemon jumped into the space, knocking him down.

Half-crying, half-laughing, he stood up once they got off of him, brushing the dust off. The Pokemon went off to get reacquainted, catch up on things, and play.

Turning to the two legendaries, he bowed politely. "I can't thank you enough. If possible, I'd be honored to have you two join me in my journey."

Smirking, the duo nodded. 'We were going to do that anyways, Ash,' Latias reminded him, laughing.

Rubbing the back of his head, he laughed as well, until he felt a tugging on his arm. Looking down, he asked, "What's up, Ambipom?"

Grinning widely, he held up one of his hand-like tails, unclenching it to reveal a watch.

Thanking her, Ash held up the device, examining it. "Any idea what this is, anyone?"

"Pom, Ambipom!"

At this, the two legendary Pokemon grinned evilly, before translating for Ash.

'Basically, it's a Pokedex, and a PokeTech at the same time. It also allows you to carry unlimited Pokemon, and some other abilities Ambipom didn't pay attention to.' Meloetta told the confused boy, who now had sparkles in his eyes.

"Wow, Ambipom, this is awesome! Where'd you get it?"

At this, the three Pokemon's grins grew even wider.

'She said, and we quote, 'borrowed it without approval nor acknowledgement for an indefinite period of time from one shitbag Professor,' the two said, in sync. 'Also, it's the only one in existence.'

The mentioning of Professor Oak saddened him slightly, but was easily undone as Ash came to understand Ambipom's roundabout way of saying, 'she stole a really rare object from an old man'. So, he did what anyone would do in that situation: he burst out laughing.

"Haha, that old geezer had that coming! Good job, Ambipom!" he said, patting the Pokemon on the head. "Now, where to?"

..

Dawn, an aspiring coordinator from the Sinnoh region, was traveling with her longtime friend, Zoey, to go meet the friends Ash had mentioned from his adventures in Unova.

"Their names are… Iris and… Cilan! One should be in the wilderness somewhere, probably looking for dragon-types. The other is in the Striaton Gym," she read aloud from the message she had gotten a week ago.

He hasn't contacted her, or anyone else she asked, since then, and he wasn't replying, either. 'Hopefully, they know what happened.'

" _Gate 302, Transregional Airlines is about to depart. I repeat, Gate 302, Transregional Airlines is about to depart,"_ sounded the PA, making her head snap back up.

"Oh no, we're going to be late! Piplup, let's go!"

Zoey stood wordlessly behind her, unusually enough. Usually, she'd be shouting, and running ahead, but she was deep in thought.

A few hours ago, she had received a message from Ash, saying, 'I don't know if you agree with _them_ , but… Keep everyone safe, alright? You're the one closest to Dawn I can contact, so, please. Keep everyone safe, and don't go to Kanto, no matter what.'

She didn't pay much attention to it then, sure it was weird, but not particularly special. She's obviously going to protect her friend, that's a given. But then, Dawn told her that he hadn't contacted anyone else in Sinnoh, but she didn't tell the bluenette about the message. If he wanted to talk to Dawn, Ash'll tell her himself, he was that kind of guy.

'Still… What's going on, Ash? At this rate, Dawn may actually attempt to go to Kanto, what do I do then?'

" _Ursula_?! What are _you_ doing here?"

Dawn's voice snapped the redhead out of her inner turmoil, as Dawn's rival stood in front of them.

"Me? What are _you_ doing here, Dee-dee?"

Zoey groaned. Her job just got a _lot_ harder. With her rival around, Dawn was stubborn as a Tauros.

..

Cynthia, Sinnoh's Champion, was chatting with the other voted Most Popular Woman in the world, Elesa, the Nimbasa City Gym, in the Striaton Gym. Though it was unusual, the restaurant wasn't famous for nothing.

"Mm, this is great, Elesa! Unovan Gyms really are unique, aren't they!"

The other blonde giggled, answering, "Of course not. With a Champion as eccentric as Alder, you learn to stand out."

Laughing at the man's expense, they didn't notice a green-haired man approaching them.

Bowing, Cilan asked them, "Ma'am, is that all?"

Seeing them nod, he looked at the entrance. "It's been a week, and I already miss him…" he whispered wistfully. His expression turned to shock when Cynthia asked, "Ash, right?"

"Ash?" both Elesa and another voice from the next table asked.

It was revealed to be Iris, as her head popped out behind them. "And Cilan! 'Ma'am'? Why aren't you that polite to me? Honestly, what a kid!"

Sweatdropping, the gym leader answered the original question. "Yes, Miss Cynthia. I was talking about Ash."

"Umm… If I ask, how do you know him?" Elesa asked tentatively.

Waving her hand nonchalantly, she replied, "Oh, he saved my region from complete annihilation. Several times, if my sources were correct. How do you know him?"

Showing obvious shock, her superstar training kicked in and she gathered her focus. "He beat me, shining brighter even without type advantages. He even made it to the top two in the tournament!"

Cynthia whistled. "Wow, he moves fast. Did you know, after every region he leaves all his Pokemon except Pikachu behind? Then, he shoots back up in another region, doing even better faster every time. It's quite inspirational."

Cilan nodded enthusiastically, springing into another evaluation. "Indeed, that story is a flavorful-"

"Sorry about this, he does this every time…" Iris whispered to the two, while the aspiring connoisseur spouted off in the background. She turned to them, eyes sparkling. "So, how far did he get last time?"

"Hmm? Oh, he made it to the final four, probably would have won the entire thing if it weren't for Tobias. That guy had a team of Darkrai, Latios, and four Magikarp due to his bet. That battle was also the only time in the entire thing where his Darkrai was taken out, let alone Latios. Pity, if Ash had just one more in reserve… The finalist didn't even scratch Darkrai."

"Eh? You can use Legendaries in tournaments? Why didn't Ash catch one, then? He's met plenty, after all," Iris asked, scratching her head.

The champion shrugged, before turning to the window and gazing outside. 'Where are you now, Ash?'

..

 **And that's a wrap! This is gonna be FUN!**


	4. Old Enemies and Rivals (Rewritten)

**AN: Yay, I have finished the poll and (mentally) planning out the next 7 chapters or so.** **Here's the poll results:**

 **Cynthia: 2!**

 **Roxie: 1!**

 **Skyla: 1!**

 **Ursula: 1!**

 **Elesa: 1! (Somebody 'voted' via review)**

 **Latias: 1!**

 **Poll is Closed!**

..

Reappearing in the Hall of Origins, Ash, Latias, and Meloetta announced their arrival.

"Come and meet everyone, everybody!"

With that, he launched his 11 Pokeballs, and, in a bright flash of light, revealed his Pokemon.

Arceus dipped his head in acknowledgement, and boomed in his powerful voice, **"Welcome, companions of the Chosen One. Ash, I have three things to say; first, your old friends appear to be looking for you. Not the traitors, but the one's from Sinnoh and Unova. Second, we have found a way to solve your money problem. Check it out at the closest Pokemon Center. Third, now that everything's resolved, what will you do?"**

Ash rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Gaze sweeping his friends, he grinned. "There's only one thing to do; Beat them at their own game! From now on, I'll be also participating in Contests!"

Several of the Legends nodded in approval, some remained passive, while others floated forth.

Manaphy, Shaymin, and Celebi did a little happy dance, with Meloetta and Latias joining in.

The black-haired teen (sorry I keep reusing these words, there's not a lot of other stuff I can call him) laughed, as Ambipom, Spoink, Butterfree, and Ralts joined in.

'I wonder how the others are doing…'

..

"Meowth, have you found out where the twerp is?"

"Na, his friends kept saying stuff about 'black-haired shits', but dats it," answered the only talking Meowth in existence.

The red haired woman didn't respond, save a slight 'hmm'. Meanwhile, their third companion groaned, asking, "But what about the Pikachu? It has to know where he is, right?"

You've guessed it; it's Team Rocket! Why they were looking for Ash, well…

Ever since they've seen him selflessly save the world time and time again, sometimes saving them as well, they've grown to respect him. Saying they were trying to catch Pikachu was an excuse they gave to Giovanni, to avoid being blasted to oblivion.

Of course, they also did some side jobs to avoid suspicion, but mostly followed Ash to 'capture' Pikachu, as well as keep an eye on him.

"Well, dat little mouse has da dirtiest mouth I've ever heard. Maybe we should ask his other friends?"

Nodding in agreement, the trio set off for Unova.

..

Dawn, Zoey, and- much to the former's annoyance- Ursula were currently on a flight to Unova.

All three of them were looking for Ash, though Ursula would never admit it.

The bluenette was tapping rapidly on her PokeTech. She had found out the Sinnoh Champion, was also in Unova, so maybe she could request her help? Being a Champion does have its perks.

Zoey was frowning slightly, wondering how she might be able to keep Dawn out of Kanto.

At her limit, the redhead slumped forwards, cradling her head. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do…"

The third member of their little trio, Ursula, was thinking back to when she had started wanting to know about Ash.

..

 _Flashback_

..

Ursula sat on the forest floor, crying. Since no one was nearby, she had dropped her pretentious act.

Earlier, she and her Pokemon had encountered a wild Garchomp. Since it was untrained, she thought she'd catch it easily.

Boy, was she wrong.

In a few minutes, her Pokemon had been defeated or ran, like she had. Now, she was separated, and lost.

Then, a boy her age came by with an Aipom on his shoulder, and asked her what was wrong. Despite her stuck-up attitude, he helped her find her Pokemon, and continued on his way without asking for thanks.

Intrigued, she dug a bit and found out that, at the time, he was looking for his own Pokemon, yet still helped her.

..

 _Flashback End_

..

And since then, the things occurring around the boy had only gotten more interesting.

Frowning, she wondered what made him drop off the face of the Earth.

..

Paul and Gary, the most unlikely team in history, had decided to check out who Ash's rival was this time.

Apparently, he was in Kanto, talking to the people from the 'boonies'.

Shrugging at the message, they started to leave, wincing from the loud sounds of the concert behind them.

Why were they there? They had wanted to fight the Poison-type gym leader, Roxie. Who then told them to wait until her weekly concert was over.

As if on cue, the concert finished, and the chattering voices started to head towards them, led by none other than the lead guitarist.

"Eh? Why are you leaving? Didn't ya wanna fight me?" questioned the white-haired girl.

Paul waved her off, and Gary frowned. "Sorry, something came up. A friend of ours disappeared, and we're following a new source."

Roxie tilted her head, as a question mark appeared above her head. "Who is it? Lemme see!"

Tick marks cropped on their heads, her behaviour strongly reminding them of the person they were searching for.

"You just had to open your fat mouth," Paul hissed, and Gary retaliated like… well, like Gary usually does.

Soon a dust cloud with limbs moving around was in front of Roxie and her band, as they sweat dropped. A PokeTech slid out of the cacophony, and the gym leader picked it up.

"What? You know Ash?" Roxie exclaimed, halting their fight. "And whaddaya mean, he disappeared?"

Exchanging glances, the two boys nodded. Ash had gained their utmost respect. If she could help…

..

Cynthia checked her PokeTech. There was a new message.

 _Dawn: Cynthia, do u know where Ash is? I'm heading 2 Unova now._

"Cilan, Ash said he was heading back to Kanto, right?" she asked.

Cilan scratched his chin. "Indeed, that is where he said he was going…"

Nodding, Cynthia responded to Dawn's message.

 _Cynthia: He's gone back 2 Kanto. I'll give u a ride, if u want._

 _Dawn: Thx!_

Grinning, Cynthia accessed another of her contacts.

 _Cynthia: Prof. Juni, can you get Skyla to prepare a plane 2 Kanto?_

 _Juniper: Sure thing, Ms. Cynthia! Where r u?_

 _Cynthia: Striaton gym. Thx!_

Closing her PokeTech, she told the others of her arrangements. As expected, the others asked to come along.

"May I come along, Ms. Cynthia? I would love to see Ash's flavorful battle style again," asked Cilan, somehow having held a platter since the last chapter without getting tired.

Elesa went next. "I wonder, do others in his hometown shine as bright as he?"

"Honestly, what a kid! I'll come along, he needs someone to keep him outta trouble!" Guess who said that.

Cynthia smiled, nodding as she got another message. This was from Roxie, requesting that she and two of her companions can obtain a ride to Kanto as soon as possible.

 _Cynthia: Why don't u ask your own Champion, or Skyla?_

 _Roxie: U realize that the Champion is ALDER, right? And I asked Skyla, she was the one who told me to ask u._

 _Cynthia: Why're u going in the first place?_

 _Roxie: Some challengers told me someone I know disappeared, so I wanna check it out._

 _Cynthia:... Is he called Ash?_

 _Roxie: How'd ya guess?_

 _Cynthia:... U'll see. Tomorrow, at Striaton._

The blonde leaned back, rubbing her forehead. This had turned into a full-blown search expedition!

'You sure have a lot of friends, Ash...'

..

 **OK, the main pairing is now Ash x Cynthia! Don't worry, I'll give the others a bit of the limelight from time to time.**

 **Edit: Sorry, I wrote the initial thing on my phone, so... Yeah. I rewrote it now, K?**


	5. Unfound

**AN: Word of advice; do NOT go to bed at 4:30 on a school day. Seriously. It's a really bad idea. Especially if you need to wake up at 7:10.**

..

Cynthia stood in front of a plane, smiling brightly. Behind her stood an odd assortment of people.

Ursula was deep in thought, and Zoey was frowning, deep in thought.

Iris and Cilan were chatting with Dawn about their (mis)adventures with Ash, Paul and Gary occasionally contributing their input.

Roxie was drumming her fingers to a beat no one can hear, and bopping her head.

Elesa was chatting with Skyla about gym leader business. They would have included Roxie, if not for her excessively loud voice exposing confidential information.

There were two shady characters dressed in trench cloaks, whistling awkwardly.

Professor Juniper stuck her head out of the door of the plane. "Alright, since Skyla's never been to Kanto, I set the course straight to Pallet Town!"

Cynthia nodded in thanks, before tilting her head. "Can you come with us, in case something goes wrong? Also, how do you know where Pallet Town is?"

The Professor grinned widely, exclaiming, "Of course I can come! I'll exchange research notes with Oak again. Speaking of which, there's the answer to your second question."

Nodding again, the Champion entered the plane, giving a word of thanks as she passed the Professor. The others followed her lead, bowing slightly as they entered the plane.

Skyla immediately went to the pilot's cockpit, and turned on the plane.

" _This is Mistralton Airlines! Everyone get in their seats and buckled up, 'cuz we're going to Kanto!"_

The eccentric group chuckled a bit at her lack of professionalism, as they sat down.

..

Below them, the two aforementioned people threw off their trench coats, revealing Jesse and James.

Meowth waved to them at the base of the plane's wheel, already climbing up. Nodding, the two climbed up as well, somehow not being noticed by the people on the street.

..

Trip grinned darkly, as did the others around him. Misty, Brock, May, and Max. Yesterday, he had contacted two others that, according to his new allies, hated Ash just as much as he.

The blonde had refrained from contacting the Professor and his rival's mother, letting the others persuade them instead.

"They're coming today," he told the others as he re-read the message confirming it.

Nodding in assent, they went about their normal business, instead of waiting for them. They still had lives, and Trip wanted to catch more Pokemon.

..

Ash frowned. According to Ash, several of his 'friends' were heading to Pallet Town. Apparently, they were looking for him, which meant they were uninvolved.

However, that did not confirm anything. They could just as easily agree with the traitors as they could side with Ash.

"What do _you_ think I should do, Latias?" he asked, patting the draconic Legendary.

She shrugged, telepathically answering, 'Maybe you should wait, if you don't want to confront them,' before nuzzling his cheek.

Chuckling, he looked at his Pokemon. Once they recovered from their initial shock, the more playful ones had become friends with similarly-behaving legendaries such as Victini and Jirachi.

Keldeo was giving a ride to Gible, and Mew was playing with Bayleef, Spoink, and Totodile.

Charizard had roared a challenge immediately, to which Moltres accepted. Obviously, he was badly beaten, but recovered quickly due to another ability of the Nano-Dex. It was similar to a Pokemon Center, in the aspect of healing Pokemon. More serious injuries required going to the Pokemon Center, but minor cuts and scrapes were easily remedied by the

Now, Charizard was pestering the trio of Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno on how to get stronger. He didn't want to let Ash down again, not after the last fiasco in the tournament.

Smiling at his friends, he nodded in response to Latias's suggestion.

"Celebi, can you turn us invisible like you usually do?"

..

 **Timeskip: 3 hours**

The plane touched down a short distance from Pallet Town, drawing the attention of most of its few inhabitants. Noticing the commotion, the traitors went outside as well, and arrived just as Paul and Gary exited the plane, the last apart from Skyla to do so.

Confused, they approached the passengers, and were shocked at their identities.

Champions, and gym leaders were in there, as well as several of Ash's acquaintances.

Presuming that they were those who agreed with them, like Paul and Gary, Trip walked towards him.

"Hello everyone. Why is there a Champion here?" the blonde greeted, before thinking of possible answers. "Ah, does she hate Ash, too?"

"Too? What is he talking about, does anyone have a clue?" Cynthia queried as she turned around.

They shook their heads, some shrugging. Paul faced the Unovan boy, asking, "What are you talking about? What's going on?"

Trip stared blankly at the group, before bursting out laughing. "That's funny guys, it really is. Oh well, we already drove him out, so you don't have to worry about ticking him off."

The traitors, who had gathered behind him, nodded, smirking.

The Champion tilted her head, as the group behind her started muttering. "Do… do you know where he is?"

"No, he ran off. And good riddance!" Max spat. "He's a bundle of trouble, if you ask me."

By now, Cynthia's group began to realize what they were insinuating. And they were _angry_.

Zoey's thoughts wandered to Ash's message, as she gasped as she realized why he had not wanted them to go to Kanto.

Hoping for good news, everyone turned to her immediately, as Dawn asked her what was up.

Zoey closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. "Ash… actually sent one last message to me, saying I should get Dawn to stay out of Kanto. He also said something about agreeing with them, and, if possible, keeping others out as well."

Cynthia nodded as the information, cryptic as it was, sunk in. "Did he say _why_ he sent it to you alone?"

"Something about being close to Dawn, I guess?"

"Ok, then we know he probably hasn't left Kanto yet. Otherwise, he won't have contacted you at all. Therefore, let's split up and search for him," Cynthia said, and started to move towards the forest.

However, she stopped when a Serperior appeared in front of her, glaring.

"Ehh… Who woulda thought, Ash actually has friends!" Trip drawled, smiling wickedly. "Sorry, but no one here wants Ash back. Serperior, Leaf Storm!"

"Mr. Mime, Reflect!"

As the attack hit an invisible wall and bounced back, everyone turned to look at the origin of the voice. Delia stood there, panting. A Mr. Mime stood next to her, hands outstretched and glowing.

Trip cursed under his breath, as, by the time he turned his attention back to the Champion, she had called out her Garchomp.

"Damn it… We're going, guys. Come on," he said to the other traitors, as they went back into town.

Cynthia's mind, along with several others, were already somewhere else, however.

'Where are you, Ash?'

..

 **Done. Seriously… Oh well, don't worry! The traitors' misfortune isn't over yet!**

 **Bwahahaha!**


	6. Missing Persons

**AN: Hey, I said I put this on hiatus, right? Well, that was true for most of my stories, I guess. And now, I'm back! Too lazy to rewrite, so… meh. Call this horrible, I don't care. Seriously, if you see my lifeless eyes when I'm in public, you won't believe I'm writing anything in the first place!**

..

"So, Mrs. Ketchum, can you tell us what's going on?"

Currently, their previous group had split into three. One, composed of Dawn, Cilan, and Iris, were looking for Ash. Naturally everyone else wanted to as well, but agreed that those three had known him the longest, giving them the best chance of actually finding him.

The second group was looking for clues, to immediately relay to the first group. They were comprised of Ursula, Zoey, Paul, and Gary.

The final group was in front of Ash's mom, trying to piece together the situation, as Delia calmed herself with a cup of tea.

"Well, Mrs. Ketchum?" Cynthia asked once more, tapping her finger impatiently on the table. Behind her, Roxie was drumming her fingers again, this time with a sense of urgency, and Elesa and Skyla were tapping their feet.

Professor Juniper had gone to see Professor Oak, alone, earlier. Hopefully, she'll return with more information.

Taking another sip of tea to hide her shuddering breath, Delia began to speak. "You know, Ash has been on this goal of being a Pokemon Master for years now… Each time he falls just short of that, and his crestfallen face always breaks my heart."

Her voice hitched, and she closed her eyes tiredly. "Yet, every time, he always heads out again. Again, and again… Then, Trip visited me. He tried to convince me that Ash was useless, but-"

Suddenly, her voice was cut off by another, more agitated one. "Ash?! Useless?! That's nonsense, he doesn't know the meaning of the word!" Roxie said, giggling a bit at the end.

Silently, Cynthia agreed, but…

"Roxie, please… At least wait until we hear it all…"

Pouting, Roxie didn't reply, but she didn't interrupt anymore, either.

"A-anyways… I, of course, refused that idea, but then he told me… I-if he continues, I won't be able to see him that often… and he'll be without income… and…"

"So, he didn't convince you to give up on Ash, but try to get him to give up?" Elesa summarized, her face devoid of any hints as to what she was thinking.

Mutely, Delia nodded, her gaze downcast.

Cynthia slammed her hands on the table angrily, as she hissed, "Do you have _any_ idea how much that meant to him? His dream? Your support?"

Still looking downwards, Delia nodded again, her eyes filled with guilt.

"I'm sorry…"

It was barely audible, even quieter than a whisper, but they all heard it.

..

"Hmm…" Ursula was carefully observing a map, tracing a line in the direction that Ash's neighbors said he walked in the direction of. "It says here that he probably walked into the deepest part of Viridian Forest? Is that good, or bad?"

Her question went unanswered, as Paul and Zoey were chatting about their Pokemon, and Gary gave a shrug.

A tick mark appeared on her forehead, as she yelled, "Hey, PAY ATTENTION!"

As soon as she got the attention of the other two she sighed. "Honestly… I'm the least related to him, and I feel like I'm the only one actually _trying_ to find him… Anyways, apparently he walked into the deeper parts of Viridian Forest."

Zoey, having had the decency to act embarrassed, shrugged as well, before turning to the Kanto Native.

Gary let out a sigh, and began transmitting the information to the others. While he typed he said, "He should be fine, with that Pikachu of his…"

..

"Whoohoooo!"

Currently, Future Dragon Master was swinging through the forest, royally pissing off numerous Pokemon and leaving her two companions in the dust.

Cilan yelled desperately, in an attempt to slow her down. "Iris! Wait!"

Gleefully ignoring the green-haired gym leader, she speed up even more, loving the feel of the wilderness after being cooped up in a plane for so long.

"Typical Ash… Always causing trouble… What a kid!" she muttered, grinning widely.

When her PokeTech rang, she immediately froze. Or at least, tried to.

Windmilling her arms comically, she tilted forwards and backwards until she found balance on the branch she stood on.

"Eh… Viridian Forest? Wonder if there are dragon types there…" she thought aloud, as she examined the map and, more importantly the location marked on it.

Some rustling below her made her turn away, as the panting form of Cilan and the somewhat sweating Dawn caught up.

"Hey, guys! Ya see the message yet?"

Since Cilan was in no condition to reply, Dawn answered, "Yup! But can we take a break fi-"

She was interrupted by swishing sound, and, as she looked up, Iris was already gone.

..

Even farther above them, Ash was riding an invisible Latias, and observing them, alongside an also-invisible Celebi, Meloetta, and Mew.

'It appears they really don't want to harm you, Ash…' Latias thought, looking up at said person.

Meloetta nodded, adding her two cents. 'Iris, Cilan, and Cynthia would never betray you.'

"Eh… Do you guys want to meet up with them?" Ash asked, stroking Latias's fur absentmindedly.

Celebi seemed to find this question puzzling, as she asked, 'Eh? What about you, Ash? They're _your_ friends, after all…'

"Don't worry about me. I'm happy if you guys are happy."

Mew seemed to decide immediately, and, true to her nature, decided to make more friends.

'Come one! Let's go meet them!'

..

 **Sleepy… G'night...**


	7. Cloaked Man

**AN: The lack of reviews make me feel hated.**

 **On another note… I'm gonna add a few more random characters here and there, but just because they care about Ash doesn't mean they love him, got it? Like, they could owe him a debt or something, like Erika, Bianca, or Salvia. They might join later, but not yet.**

..

"You WHAT!?"

Juniper slammed her hands down on the desk angrily, startling the other professor. Pointing at him angrily, she summarized what she had been told. "So, you basically took someone's Pokemon away _illegally_ , crushed a Trainer's dreams, and are perfectly fine with that?"

Seeing her anger, Oak nodded nervously, and shrunk back into his seat. He had seen her angry before, when exchanging research with the other professors, but this was on another level completely.

"Do you… regret it?" the woman asked, observing his reactions carefully. Confusion, as to why she cared so much about this. Fear, as to what might happen if he answered wrong. Then, Nervousness as he opened his mouth.

"Y-yes, of course I do!"

Shaking her head sadly, Juniper pulled out her phone. As she waited for whoever she called to pick up, Professor Oak panicked.

"Wait! Who are you calling? Wait, Juniper!"

Sighing, she turned back to her colleague. "Relax. For now, I'm just telling Cynthia Ash doesn't have any Pokemon anymore."

Instantly, Oak's face paled. "Cynthia? _Cynthia_ , Champion of Sinnoh? Why are you telling her?"

"Would you rather I tell Lance, or Officer Jenny?" the brunette retorted, before her face lit up as Cynthia picked up.

..

After Delia stopped crying the third time, she excused herself to go check on the garden, probably as an excuse to avoid bursting into tears again. As soon as she did, Cynthia's personalized Poketch buzzed, with two notifications. One was a wide-spread text saying Ash headed into Viridian Forest. The other was a call from Juniper, which she promptly picked up.

Five minutes later, Lance was phoning the police as a Champion and three gym leaders hurried out the door, looking worried.

"Dawn, Ash has no Pokemon currently. No, not even Pikachu," Cynthia said, speaking into her watch in an agitated tone. "He could be in danger, I agree that we have to find him quickly, but we have to reorganize ourselves first. If we run about randomly, our chances are even worse, given the size of the forest!"

Hearing a reply of agreement, and a vague, 'wait, Iris!', she nodded to the Elesa, who had decided to be the one to call the other group. Roxie and Skyla were unnaturally serious, as they proceeded to their agreed meeting point, the Pokemon Center. Due to Ash's sudden rise in popularity, Pallet Town had received numerous new perks, the Center being one of them.

As they reached the doors, they waved to the other group waiting in the lobby, before situating themselves in the remaining seats. After a few minutes, Iris and Cilan arrived on the former's Dragonite, and Dawn arrived on her Togekiss.

Before they could start to talk, however, another flying pokemon… _shimmered_ into existence behind them, along with the figures of a human and three pokemon.

The person was unidentifiable, since he was wearing a hood, and they were able to identify only one of the four pokemon.

"Meloetta!?" Cynthia, Iris, and Cilan exclaimed. The latter two were shocked at the appearance at the Legendary they met back in Unova, but Cynthia narrowed her eyes at the man. The idea that she was here of her own will was unlikely, which, in turn, meant that the unidentified man probably caught her by force.

The others just stood dumbfounded- who was this man? And how had he turned invisible?

Juniper suddenly snapped her fingers, startling the rest of them. "I recognize some of those! That's Mew, isn't it? And Celebi, the Time Travel Pokemon! Why are they with you?" She pointed accusingly at the man, causing some to do the same.

Sighing, Cynthia calmed her down. "She's right… Meloetta is supposed to be back in Unova, why is she here?"

The man tilted his head, thinking. Then, he walked away, motioning for them to follow. Behind him, Meloetta settled onto his head, Celebi on his shoulder, and Mew flew circles around him. The final, unknown pokemon exchanged looks with the man, who nodded, and transformed into a human walking alongside him.

"What the…"

In two words, Gary summed up what most of them were thinking. Regardless, they decided to follow him. If he's a threat, then they needed to know what he wanted and could do. If he's an ally…

..

'Where are we going, Ash?' Celebi asked, curious as to where he was headed.  
"Viridian Forest," Ash replied, getting some odd looks from the people around him… as well as looks of recognition. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he continued, "So, how _did_ you guys leave your duties?"

Celebi saw that the others weren't going to answer him, since Latias and Meloetta were animatedly observing Ash's hometown, and Mew was napping. Sighing, she turned back to him, and shrugged.

'You realize Arceus is a God, right?' she said, somehow deadpan via telepathy.

"Oh… right."

..

Cilan nervously sped up his pace to the front, where Cynthia was, and began to speak.

"Ms. Cynthia… Who do you think this man is? By the looks of it, he has three Legendaries, probably four or more!" he asked, his eyebrows creasing.

Cynthia only shrugged. She wanted to look for Ash, but the safety of the world and her duties as Champion overrode that. Hopefully, Lance would be coming here as well, to oversee the arrest of Professor Oak.

Behind them, Iris was excitedly explaining how they encountered Meloetta, and how _someone_ *cough*Ash*cough* almost instantly made friends with it.

"And then, this giant blue pokemon shot a giant ball of lightning at us!"  
"Really? Getting into trouble like that, it's definitely Ash…"

"Definitely! He's such a kid!"

"Anyways, how did you get out of that?"

"Oh yeah, his Pikachu..." Up ahead, the man, flinched as if stabbed, but continued on normally. Cynthia filed it away for future use. After all, if the nation was in danger, even she could sink so low so as to unleash hordes of the Electric Mouse Pokemon upon him.

Then another thought appeared- was he an enemy Ash encountered before? That _would_ explain things, like his appearance once Ash disappeared.

'Who… are you?'

..

 **I have reached an epiphany! Pokemon make harems, but Rock Types don't! See, Brock doesn't have a harem, and his team focuses on rock types. Ash only has/had one rock type, and look at the size of dat harem!**


	8. It's Ash

**AN: So, in case anyone didn't notice, I put up a song for each of my stories. They help me get in the mood to write my stories. I listen to a few others like** **Hey Brother** **, by** _ **Avicli**_ **, but I felt like those were the ones that were most appropriate for the stories. As to lucienhalf58, wow. Just, wow. I hadn't even considered the next chapter, like all the other times, so… 0_0**

 **No, I'm not joking, I seriously** _ **never**_ **plan ahead barring a few thoughts here and there. Heck, I never even look back at my chapters, so… yeah.**

..

The group exchanged glances nervously, as they arrived at the entrance to Viridian Forest. By now, it was dusk, so the shadows in the woods were exaggerated. Being a zone for beginners, it usually gave off a innocent look, but, in this situation, it was sinister. Eerie, even.

Suddenly, Dawn let off a small gasp, and covered her mouth. Curious, the group looked at her who pointed at the transformed Flying-type Pokemon next to the stranger.

"That Pokemon…" she turned to Cynthia, eyes wide. "Didn't it look similar to the Pokemon that Pikachu took out in the tournament? Latios?"

Recalling the Pokemon that finished Ash's loss, Cynthia nodded slowly. "Come to think of it, I think Ash mentioned an encounter with Mew before, as well… That's three of the man's Pokemon, related to Ash!"

The group looked at the man. Either he knew Ash on some level, or was a dangerous enemy. That much was clear.

..

Ash looked back at them, smiling softly. "Guess they're getting close. I don't think anyone's watching, so it should be ok, right?" he muttered under his breath, to which Celebi nodded in agreement, and Mew zoomed around excitedly.

Chuckling, he raised his hand to take off the hood. However, since he was Ash Ketchum, nothing could be that simple.

A bright flash, one that Ash had grown accustomed to over the past few days, filled the path, and he blinked out the dots. This time, it was Azelf and , along with two other people.

"Azelf, why are you here?" he asked, confused but happy at seeing another friend.

'I brought more of Ash's friends Ho-Oh and Lugia told me about,' the Pokemon of Willpower said happily, motioning to the two behind him.

Haunter looked around curiously, before smiling wickedly as it tackled Ash to the ground, causing a sharp intake of breaths behind him. His hood had fallen off.

Facepalming, Latias resumed her original form and nudged Ash playfully as he looked back at the group. Unfortunately for him, Meloetta had gotten of his head, taking his hat with her. This made Shaymin decide that his hair made for a good landing pad, launching itself onto it and sticking to his head like glue, mewling happily.

"Ahaha, stop that, everyone!" Ash cried, as he reached at Meloetta, dancing in front of him with his hat in hand. Sticking her tongue out at him, she giggled and flew over to the stunned group, putting the hat on the closest person.

"Aw, come on, Meloetta! And Latias, Mew, that tickles!"

Deciding this was going nowhere fast, Cynthia cleared her throat, and took Ash's hat off her head. "Ash…"

This seemed to be the trigger for the dam to break, as everyone else started peppering him with questions. The noise, coupled with the playful legendaries, made Ash give up.

"I give! I give, so please ask things one at a time!" he said, raising his arms in surrender, and flopping down onto the grass. Of course, Shaymin wasn't going to get squashed just yet, and changed its position to being firmly attached to Ash's forehead.

Latias laid her head on his stomach, with him stroking her fur, and Meloetta and Celebi landed on the grass on either side of his head.

Cynthia was the first to snap out of her shock, so she asked her questions. "Ash, what happened?"

The boy shrugged, laughing dryly. "I think you have the general idea, after spending all day gathering info, right?"

"Yes," she answered, unfazed. It was only natural to want some time alone, after what happened. "but only the bare minimum. I want to hear it all."

Sighing sadly, the teen adjusted his gaze skyward mournfully. It was an expression no one had ever seen on Ash's face before, and a few of the Pokemon comforted him.

"I was back, after the trip in Unova… I headed to Oak's lab, but my Pokemon weren't there, so I headed home." He paused, frowning. "Then, I heard them. Mother, too. All my Pokemon were there, as well. Pikachu joined them, and I left. End of story."

Abruptly, he sat up, causing Shaymin to slide down onto his eyes. Chuckling, he moved the Grass Pokemon up onto his head, and stretched.

"Wait! What about all of these Pokemon?" Professor Juniper cried, thinking he was leaving. "How did they come across you?"

The raven-haired teen yawned and motioned to Azelf. "Can ya tell 'em? I seriously need a nap, I've been constantly moving since then…"

Nodding in confirmation, the blue Legendary flashed away for a second, before returning with the rest of the Lake Trio.

"Thanks, Azelf."

With that, he turned around, and soon started snoring.

Uxie, the Pokemon of Knowledge, floated to the group, and his eyes glowed red.

..

Sabrina stood in the shadows, watching it all. After greeting Ash, Haunter had floated next to her. "Huh, guess they forgot about you. At least now I know that Pokemon wasn't lying."

Shaking her head, the psychic yawned as well, exhausted. "Ever since Ash, we've been fighting more and more trainers, haven't we?"

Haunter nodded happily. It had been upset when Ash left it, but he understood. Sabrina did as well, and took in the Ghost Pokemon.

"Hau-nter…" it muttered, before returning into its Pokeball, leaving its sleeping Trainer sleeping against a tree as they waited for Uxie to finish projecting everything in the group's minds.

..

 **G'night.**


	9. PLEASE READ THIS TO THE END

**AN: Long time no see… Check my profile for a reason to my absence, if you want. Anyhow, this story is, as of now… discontinued…**

 **..**

 **HOWEVER!**

 **The reason for this is simply cuz I'm not good at writing drama and all that. So, I'm going to make a CONTINUATION, skipping a few years past this, meaning the intial drama is also skipped. Of course, the issue between Ash and his ex-pals won't be resolved as of yet…**

 **..**

 **Oh, one last thing. The sequel is based loosely off of Pokemon Black 2, inspired by the trailer for said game (check it out, it's great!), and will include an OC.**

 **..**

 **Once again, sorry!**


	10. Sequel

**AN: So, as promised, I put up a sequel titled Not Always Black or White. Try it out, will ya?**


End file.
